One of the Knowledge Keepers steps forward and beckons to you. You step forward as confidently as you can and you follow the man to the anti chamber near by.

Inside the beautifully polished marble room lies your prize, the Diamond Crown. It sits waiting for you on the pristine white velvet, it's platinum diadem gleams in the candlelight, and the single round diamond sparkles with fire that has always seemed to be alive.

You sit in the special padded chair and let them bind your wrists and ankles. When they place the crown upon your head the rush of memories can be intense and you could have a fit. At their urging you lean back as they strap your body to the chair.

The Head Knowledge Keeper picks up the Diamond Crown and with a kindly smile places the circlet on your head. It feels cold to the touch, the large diamond rests comfortably over your forehead, which is a relief as tradition dictates you never take it off again.

Finally the head strap is applied and the Keepers bow to you before they leave you here alone.

You're nervous again, an heir had already been picked but had not been strong enough to survive unlocking the memories held by the crown, they'd pulled him dead from the room only hours ago, and you know your fellow heirs are still in the throne room waiting to see if you survive.

Vowing to be strong enough you ready yourself and let your mind blank as much as possible.

"Perfect."

The words are cold and clean and clear in your mind. Startled you glance around the empty room and then you're slammed mentally to one side as this presence invades your mind and before you can scream it all goes black.

:oOo:

Waking you try to shake your head and can't.

Unable to see you try to open your eyes and can't.

The presence from earlier notices you and you shudder away from the alien nature of it. Cold and emotionless it's overwhelming.

It's also not the only one. You can feel others through it. Others that are nearby, buried in the castle you live in, conquered and captured, walled away forever from the light and life, they gibber and whine and sob beneath your feet.

Another two stronger presences are further away. The weakest is in chains and lives by the sea the sound of waves and seagulls a constant companion as humans enslave it to their will. The strongest is blue and the presence in your mind is in constant competition with it, each trying to get an advantage over the other.

The door opens, your eyes open, and a Keeper walks in, the man bows to you, "Your Majesty, it has been the traditional day and night, how are you feeling?"

You try and scream but your mouth smiles, "Very well thank you, the memories were very strong but I have triumphed."

The Keeper smiles back, "That is good to know, do you require anything to eat?"

A test, surely the presence will fail at this, and you feel your head shake from side to side, "No, I no longer require any food or drink, and my need for sleep is gone good Keeper."

"Yes Your Majesty," the man bows again and then salutes, "Long live the Diamond!"

"Long live the Diamond," your voice replies and you silent scream in frustration, why doesn't he see you're not you? Why doesn't he do something?

More Keepers appear and you're released from the chair, you're body stands up and you try to run but stand still. You walk forward and you realise you have absolutely no control of your body.

Stepping out your body walks towards the Diamond chambers to bathe and change into formal robes for your first appearance as absolute ruler of the Diamond Kingdom.

:oOo:

It's been a week.

A week of lashing out and trying to escape has come to naught. Resigned you sit in your own mind and watch through your own eyes at things going on around your body.

Not once has the presence in your mind relented even the slightest bit of control. Your body has not eaten or drunk anything, and neither has it slept though you have had to.

The only thing that you have discovered is that you can hear it's thoughts, though they are strange and inhuman.

A messenger has appeared from the Sapphire Kingdom and a scroll is handed over. It's long and flowery and it seems to say how the ruler of that land is looking forward to continued economic stability. At the bottom of the message are seemingly nonsense glyphs, except now you can read them because the presence can read them.

"Diamond, I commend you on your new host body, may all your hosts be so easily conquered. Let our contest continue bloodlessly as agreed. Sapphire."

The crown, the presence in your mind is the crown itself.

Standing up your body waves your hands for silence and looking at the messenger your face smiles, "Thank you for such a speedy and timely delivery, rest this day and then I shall write one in turn for my fellow ruler of the Sapphire Kingdom."

Looking around the room your eyes sees your subjects and the crown calculates their worth, and their usefulness as possible host bodies. You shudder inside at such callousness and beg whatever gods are listening that these things can be destroyed.

:oOo:

A month has passed and you hear the soaring song of Amber, lost long ago in a land far away, as it claims a host for itself. A new player has entered into the competition and both Diamond and Sapphire welcome Amber as they begin to plot how to conquer the crown to add it to their treasure vaults of crowns, and beneath your feet the trapped and forgotten crowns plot to gain their own hosts and freedom.

Pearl sings a lonely song by the sea and dreams of the day it will gain it's revenge on those who hold it captive.

And all the while you stare out of your own eyes and helplessly watch as those you care for continue to serve the Diamond Crown unknowingly furthering it's ambitions to own all the crowns and to rule them all.

Your body walks into the throne room and those assembled roar out, "Long Live The Diamond!" and you have begun to believe that Diamond really is forever.

Sobbing you turn away and crawl into the further reaches of your mind determined to block it all out wanting only to die and take this thing with you.

A/N: Sorry for any and all mistakes, I've tried to catch those I could, but I'm only human.

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